This guy is absolute class – I heard him on the radio talking about the neurology of the mystical hindu experience (or Samadhi) and it led to this program. The art pieces start at around the 30 minute mark and go on for an hour. But you have to hear the first 30 minutes to understand the neurology.
Notice how he seems almost electrified when looking at the Nataraja.
The study by modern neurology of meditation practices is the most amazing frontier of science. Matthew Ricard had something like that. I am generally ignorant of Ramachandaran’s work – any fans of his around here?
9 comments:
Heard him on one of the Radio Lab podcasts by WNYC radio (distributed by NPR). And also hear about his work from my doc friends.
His absolute best is british documentry Phantoms of the brain
Thanks for the video. It was simply amazing.
He has authored an excellent book: Phantoms in the Brain". One must read this book to appreciate his genius.
brilliant brilliant link...
Thanks GW
Thanks for the post, Ghost. Very interesting! Do post more such stuff as and when you come across.
And Ghost, talking of Shiva-Nataraja and since you like temples of Kumbhakonam, if you haven't visited the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu yet, I highly recommend you do it. It is just 50 km from Kumbhakonam. The Temple architecture is a little different from any other temple found anywhere else in India. Make sure you have Darshan of the Lord during one of the 6 Sevas that they have every day. You've got to listen to the 2 huge temple bells chime when they do the Puja. It all adds up to the effect & experience.
In his 2007 TED Talk Vilayanur Ramachandran explains how mirror therapy addresses phantom limb pain:
http://www.ted.com/talks/vilayanur_ramachandran_on_your_mind.html
thanks, ghostwriter, this is one of the best posts we have ever had on this blog! i had heard about vsr before, but he is such a dynamic performer, too.
i second your opinion, kapidhwaja. chidambaram is my favorite temple in tamil nadu. i also love the legend of manikyavachakar ('he whose words were as rubies'), one of the nayanmars who were responsible for the renaissance of hinduism in the 6th cent CE or thereabouts. he is supposed to have merged with the deity in chidambaram. and i love the significance of the 'akasha linga', the linga of ether: the chidambara rahasyam.
@Kapi and Rajeev
Looks like Christo-Muslim rightist DMK doesn't care what we think about our temples. 250 years old temple paintings destroyed by the Tamil Nadu Government:
http://vivekajyoti.blogspot.com/2009/07/250-years-old-temple-paintings.html
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